Lug-strap for loom picker-sticks.



N;"952 ;-522. PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

L. FILLING.

LUG STRAP FOR LOOM PIGKER STICKS.

APPLIOATIOIf FILED NOV. 5, 1906.

M .wml. M 7" a LUTHER FILLING, OF DANIELSON, CONNECTICUT! LUGv-STRAP FOR LOOllil PICKER STBCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'ratented May 7, 1907.

Application filed November 5,19Q6. Serial No. 341,975.

,[0 (all {11/1/0110 11f IIMI/II/ concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER FILLING, a citizen of the United States, residingin Danielson, county of Windham, and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Lug-Straps for Loom Picker-Sticks, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a light, strong, durable, and ellicient lug-strap for loom picker-sticks, and which can be easily manufactured at low cost.

The sudden and oft-repeated strains on lug-straps demand much strength and durability in the structure of the strap in order to perform properly and with reasonable economy the functions for which they are designed. Heavy leather of high quality makes a very desirable lugstrap, from the point of clliciency, but such straps are not extensively used at the present time owing to the high cost, as the grade of leather required for their manufacture is very expensive. Lug-straps have been made of superposed plies or wrappings of textile material, such as strong canvas, cemented together, bent or molded into proper shape, and then subjected to heavy pressure while green or soft, but such straps have been found wanting in wear-resisting qualities. To remedy this a skeleton metallic re-inforce or body has been used, embedded in or inclosed by a covering of textile material, and while in many cases such a lug-strap has been .highly successful in every way there are instances where the metal reinforce or body is objectionable. That is, it has been found in practice that sometimes the metallic body is too heavy and rigid, and there appears also to be a tendency to loosen or separate the body and the covering by the operation of the picker-stick, the vibrations due to the jar being unequal in the metal and textile portions of the lug-strap.

In accordance with my present invention I provide an elongated U-shaped'center or core of fibrous material, of proper length and width, and I prefer to use the heavily com-' pressed fiber-board which is a well known article of commerce, and obtainable at very reasonable rices. Around this core is a body of textile fabric, such as strong canvas, as many plies or Wrappings as may be necessary being superposed one upon another to give the requisite thickness to the lug-strap, the fabric being held in place by cement between the plies. While the inclosing body is in a soft or green state the lug-strap isplaced in suitable dies and subjected to heavy pres sure, to finally shape thestrap and compress the textile body. Apertures are made in the strap near its ends to receive the bolt or other fastening which connects the lug-strap with the picking-arm or other device which imparts motion to the picker-stick. In a lugstrap so constructed I find that the fiber core is much lighter and more flexible than the metal center hereinbefore referred to, while at the same time it possesses great strength and resistance to wear. Such fiber-board, if subjected to direct blows, would soon disintegrate and become worthless, but the textile body inclosing the core serves to'cushion the blows, and is in itself very durable under such strains. Furthermore, While the core serves to re-inforce and stiffen the body, the two parts seem to respond to the blows in practically like vibrations, so that there is no apparent tendency of the cover or body and the core to separate, even after long and hard usage, the strains being very uniformly distributed throughout the entire strap. 'Even though the textile portion of the lug-strap may be in large part destroyed by friction with the picker-stick the requisite strength of the strap is maintained by the fiber core. Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken out, of a lug-strap embodying my'inventiom Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof; Fig. 3 is an inner end view, showin the ends of the core inclosed within the textile body or cover portion.

I take a strip of fiber-board of suitable Width, length and thickness, depending on the size of the lug-strap to be made, to form the core a of the lug-strap, such fiber-board, as is well-known, being a specially treated wood pulp, made into sheet form and subjected to intense pressure. Thecore strip is then wound or wrapped with suitable textile fabric, as canvas, to the desired thickness for the body I) of the strap, the fabric being well coated or impregnated with cement to'cause the superposed la ers or Wrappings to adhere tightly to each ot er and to the core.

While the body is soft or green the prepared core and body or cover are bent 1nto an elongated U-shape, as shown in Fig. 2, placed in suitable dies, and subjected to heat and heavy pressure, to dry the cement and compress the fabric of the body into a very com act, hard, yet sufiiciently elastic covering or the core.

Apertures c are made near the ends of the strap, extending through core and body, for the bolt or other connection between the strap and the picking-arm of the loom. An elastic bufier or cushion C of leather is shown in Fig. 2 as secured within the bow or bend of the strap.

A lug-strap made in accordance With my invention is very light, elastic, durable, and strong, thoroughly resisting all the strains attendant u on the operation of the pickerstick, and astinguntil the greater ortion of the textile body at the inner side 0 the strap has been Worn away.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is '1. A lug-strap for loom picker-sticks, consisting of a relatively thin, flat strip of fibrous material bent to form an elongated U-shaped core having separated ends, and an inclosing body of textile material Wrapped around such core and compressed and cemented thereon.

2. A lug-strap for loom picker-sticks, consisting of acentral core composed of a broad and relatively thin, flat strip of compressed fiber-board bent to form an elongated U- shaped central core, and a compressed cover therefor composed of textile material Wrapped in a plurality of super osed and cemented plies around the core, t e core and body being apertured near the separated front ends thereof. y

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' LUTHER FILLING; 

